This Ninja CREAMi vegan ice cream may become your new favorite “nice cream”!
Made with a few key (even secret!) ingredients, this vegan ice cream recipe is not just delicious – but quite simple to prepare.
Even better, this ice cream doesn’t have even one slice of banana… and not a drop of coconut milk or other coconut products. (No hate on bananas, it’s just they make all nice creams taste the same. No hate on coconut either, but people hate on my recipes when they include coconut! So, I take a breather from coconut comments and reviews.)
And, as much as I love chocolate… I don’t always want chocolate ice cream. In fact, vanilla ice creams are my favorite (unless the ice cream has some chunky bits of cookie or caramel swirl goodness in it – chocolate or vanilla that’s a bonus). I regularly have Nora’s ice cream in my freezer, and when I can get in a US grocery shop… Wicked vanilla.
Actually, I have more than a *little* selection of vegan Ice creams in my freezer. I love trying new vegan ice cream brands that make their way to stores – and consider it my duty as a vegan foodie to know all the flavors. 🤩
Trouble is, for me anyhow, a great many popular vegan ice cream brands include pea protein as an ingredient. I’m not sure why, maybe as a filler or to make the ice cream look more nutritious. (I mean, it’s ice cream, I don’t think we need to look at protein count). 🤷🏻♀️
So, I scour ingredient labels to buy varieties that don’t have pea protein – and there are only a few! Which is why making ice cream at home is so brilliant. Not only can you avoid those sneaky troublesome ingredients, you can also tweak the amount of sweetener, or add other flavors and add-ins as you like.
Up until this Ninja CREAMi machine hit the market, making vegan ice cream was possible, but not simplified. Since many vegan ice creams use bananas or other whole foods ingredients, when they are frozen after churning, they turn rock-hard!
Enter the Ninja CREAMi, which takes that rock-hard vessel and turns it into luscious and unbelievably dreamy ice cream.
When I got this machine, I knew the first vegan ice cream recipe I wanted to make with it would be vanilla. I think vanilla is often overstepped to create a chocolate or nutty version of vegan nice cream. Probably because bananas are usually in the base and so chocolate and nuts help to balance the flavor (and mask the color when bananas oxidize).
When I finished this recipe, our youngest daughter, Hope, said “Mom, I think this is the best ice cream you’ve made“. 💚
I won’t disagree! It’s delicious and really simple to prepare the blend.
The secret ingredient? Come on, guys… you know me…
Yep. Sweet Potatoes.
Not orange sweet spuds, but yellow. Preferable Hannah sweet potatoes, but Murasaki can also be used. I explain more in my video (and also show how to use the Ninja CREAMi):
In addition to the yellow sweet potato, that small amount of oat flour is a must. It brings a thick, creamy texture that only oat flour can offer. And, using flour instead of oats allows for a smoother texture if you don’t have a high-powered blender.
But, if you are shopping for a high-powered blender, I highly recommend a . Pro tip: Shop . These units are brand new housing with a reconditioned motor – basically brand new for a sweet deal.
Now it’s time to get to this ice cream… before it melts!
Yep, catch THAT drip! 😍 x Dreena
NOW try this ice cream with my dreamy vegan fudge sauce!
Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked yellow sweet potato flesh not orange
- 1 1/4 cups plain or vanilla non-dairy milk
- 1/2 cup soaked cashew pieces
- 1/4 – 1/3 cup light unrefined sugar see note
- 2 tbsp oat flour
- 1/4 tsp vanilla bean powder
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- In a blender, add all ingredient and puree until very smooth, stopping to scrape down blender bowl once or twice as needed.
- Transfer mixture to a CREAMi container and freeze (see note).
- Once fully frozen, place in CREAMi machine and set to ice cream function, running through that cycle twice.
- Serve! Once at an easily scoopable, smooth texture, serve!
Melissa says
I just tried this recipe after watching your video a few days ago. This is a really great recipe. I used vanilla bean paste instead of powder, as that is what I had on hand, otherwise making the recipe as stated. I will say it has a distinct flavor. Not sure if that flavor comes from the sweet potato or the cashews, so to me, seems like a better base for other flavors rather than a vanilla ice cream. I ended up mixing in (and re-blending) decaf coffee granules….a delicious coffee ice cream. I think it would be a great base for a butter pecan style ice cream too. My favorite part of this recipe is the texture! So smooth! I have limited experience with recipes and the Ninja Creami but the texture of this recipe was a very pleasant surprise! I’ll be making this again, and experimenting with different add ins and using vanilla bean powder instead of paste.
Dreena Burton says
Hi Melissa, thanks for the detailed note and I love your ideas – butter pecan is calling me!
Natalie says
Do you have a vanilla ice cream recipe that uses no refined sugar?
Dreena Burton says
Hi Natalie, what would you like to use in it?
Beth says
Hi Natalie, I use monk fruit sugar in this recipe and it works well. Been working with a Nutritionist and she recommends Micro Ingredients brand monk fruit sugar with allulose which you can buy at Amazon. Hope this helps!
Beth says
OMG, this recipe rocks my world! I was a confirmed ice cream-aholic before committing to a WFPB lifestyle 6 years ago. Ice cream was the only thing I missed from the SAD diet so now I don’t have to miss anything 🙂 I eat this almost every night and am having a blast adding different flavors to it – one of my favorites is coconut almond (2 tsp. coconut extract and 1 tsp. almond extract). Another is chocolate raspberry (1/4 cup cocoa powder and 3 Tbsp. raspberry jam). Thank you SO much Dreena for bringing ice cream back into my life!!
Dreena Burton says
YAY! Thanks so much, Beth, I’m just delighted you are loving this recipe so so much. Ice cream is my jam too, so I get it. 🙂 Thanks for the ideas and the glowing review.
Ellen says
Could you use an ice cream machine that has a blade to make this? I want to try but I don’t want to waste the ingredients if it doesn’t work.
Sue K says
Do you find Hannah’s in Canada? I’m in Ontario and have never been able to fine them here. I did try them in the U.S. and really liked them.
Dreena Burton says
Hi Sue, yes we have them here, though I have heard they are difficult to find in some areas. Try Loblaws, or a veg/fruit market (independent from a grocery store).
Sheramy says
We have made this at least five times now using it as a base for other flavors. It is wonderful! Our favorite is adding 1 1/2 Tbsp of instant coffee for coffee ice cream (2T of cocoa powder is a great add too!)
Amber says
Great idea for other flavors!
Liz says
Thanks for the add in ideas and specific amounts. I love this vanilla ice cream recipe and have played around with adding two of my favorite flavors, coffee and chocolate. Your measurement info. is really helpful!